Bar tape is the unsung hero of every rider’s cycling life. It provides an essential contact point with your bike, and is one sure-fire way to make your bike feel like new.
Traditionally, road handlebars were wrapped in white cloth tape. Cork tape arrived in the early 1990’s and with it, color options. From then on, many riders made a point of matching their bar wrap to their team kits or saddles or both. We’ve always been a fan of the clean look of a white saddle paired with white bar wrap, but that’s not the most practical option for bad weather or gravel-road adventuring.
How to wrap your bars (video courtesy of our American sister title Bicycling):
These days, companies such as Lizard Skins, Arundel, and Blackburn are designing thicker, multi-layered tapes for better grip. The new tapes are also great for absorbing the bumps and bounces that go with road and gravel riding. Here’s a round-up of some of our favorite options.
Deda Elementi Logo Tape
Deda’s Elementi Logo Tape is your little black dress of bar wraps. It’s inexpensive, functional, and does the job. The smooth face is easy to wipe clean and we like its soft feel under our hands. Deda includes bar plugs and two short pieces to fit under your shifters. The stretch material wraps smoothly. This is a less vibration-absorbing option than some of the other wraps out there, but the price is hard to beat. Deda offers multiple flavors to match any color scheme you might have in mind (including fluorescents!), while the understated logos keep the look clean. The soft material wears quickly, so if you’re putting in long miles, you may need to rewrap your bars regularly.
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